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The PTCE passing score is 1,400 on PTCB's 1,000 to 1,600 scaled-score range.
- The exam has 80 scored questions and 10 unscored questions.
- PTCB does not publish one percentage or correct-answer count that guarantees a passing result across exam forms.
- An overall pass rate is a different statistic: it describes candidates, not the score you need.
On this page5 sections
If an official PTCE result is 1,400 or higher, it meets PTCB's passing standard. That number does not tell you how many answers were correct. Dividing it by the top of the scale would compare two reporting values, not correct answers with questions.
What is published
PTCB publishes a passing scaled score of 1,400, on a range of 1,000 to 1,600. It also says the PTCE has 90 multiple-choice questions: 80 scored and 10 unscored. The unscored items are not identified, so answer every question.
What is not
- One percentage of questions correct that guarantees a pass on every exam form
- One published number of correct answers that always converts to 1,400
- A way to identify which 10 questions are unscored while taking the exam
The scale starts at 1,000, not zero. More fundamentally, the scaled-score endpoints are not counts of questions. The 87.5 percent calculation cannot tell you the percentage of scored items you answered correctly.
Why no percentage exists
PTCB uses different exam forms and equating to apply the same standard despite differences in question difficulty. The public scaled-score range does not provide a raw-to-scaled conversion for your form. A rumored correct-answer count, or a percentage inferred from the endpoints, cannot supply that missing information.
PTCB does publish an overall pass rate. Its 2025 CPhT pass rate was 69 percent. That means 69 percent of candidates in that reported group passed; it does not mean the passing score is 69 percent correct. The pass rate and passing standard answer different questions.
What to target instead
Use a practice result to find the topics and question types you need to review. Our free 90-question PTCB practice test gives a raw score on 80 scored questions, a domain breakdown and cited answer review. It starts without an account. That practice percentage cannot be converted into an official PTCE scaled score or used as a guaranteed pass prediction. Read how to interpret your practice score before setting your next study task.
If a source tells you 75 percent
Ask what the number describes. A provider may suggest a study target for its own questions, but it should label that as its own recommendation. PTCB's 2025 pass rate is a measure of candidate outcomes, not a 69 percent raw passing threshold. The official PTCE passing standard remains a scaled score of 1,400.
Common questions
What is the PTCB exam pass mark?
A scaled score of 1,400 on PTCB's 1,000 to 1,600 range meets the PTCE passing standard. It is not a percentage correct.
What percentage do I need?
PTCB does not publish one raw percentage that guarantees a pass across forms. It reports the 1,400 scaled-score standard.
Is 1,400 out of 1,600 the same as 87.5 percent?
No. The scale starts at 1,000, not zero.
Why does PTCB scale scores?
So the same score means the same standard whichever form you sat.
What should I target?
Use a timed practice paper to identify topics and question types to review. No practice percentage from Sitonce converts to an official PTCB scaled score.
Is PTCB's pass rate the passing score?
No. PTCB's 2025 CPhT pass rate was 69 percent, the share of candidates who passed in that reported group. The passing standard for an individual PTCE result is a scaled score of 1,400.